It's Sunday lunchtime and I'm treating Ms Moon to an afternoon out in Carlton Cemetery. I had a 'drop your bacon sandwich' moment a few weeks back whilst researching an area called Mapperley, in inner city Nottingham. As previously written on these pages, Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury had a sister who lived on Mapperley Plains. What I hadn't realised was that Mercury's mother and father relocated to Nottingham following the death of their son, so they could be near to their daughter.
Freddie's parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, were both born in India. Bomi later moved to Zanzibar to work as a cashier for the British government. This was where Freddie Mercury was born. What I didn't know was that his parents are both laid to rest in a grave just a five minute walk from my crib.
The cemetery is way bigger than I imagined. I thought the grave would be a piece of cake to find. After half an hour's search the failed mission is aborted. We'll leave it for another day. The show must go on.
It's Wednesday evening and I'm enjoying a stout from Burton Bridge Brewery with Nigel Harlow, at the Barrel Drop, on Hurts Yard, in Nottingham city centre. We're joined later by Dean Gripton and Tony Mac. The reason for our gathering is that we have bought tickets for a production that is called New Dawn Fades. It's on at Nottingham Playhouse. It's the story of Manchester post-punk band Joy Division, and in particular the struggles of their lead singer Ian Curtis.
I was a massive fan of the band in the late 1970s having heard their records on John Peel's late night Radio One show, It was crystal clear listening on FM frequency instead of the medium wave channel that used to crackle and sound like a crashing wave. I learnt of Curtis's death whilst standing at the bus stop outside The Fairway pub in the village of Keyworth, where I grew up. He was just 23 years old.
Joy Division only ever played Nottingham once and coincidentally it was at the Playhouse as unbilled support for 'the Bard of Salford', John Cooper-Clarke. I discovered this uber fact in Peter Hook's book, Unknown Pleasure, where Hooky listed every gig they played in chronological order.
The play is narrated by a guy playing the part of Tony Wilson, who was commonly know as 'Mr Manchester.' It also has the band's producer Martin Hannett and their manager, Rob Gretton, cast in the play. Tony and I have visited all three graves at Southern Cemetery, in Chortlon-cum-Hardy, Manchester.
Following Joy Division's final gig at Birmingham University, in 1980, with the worries of coping with epilepsy and the stress of flying to the USA for a tour, Curtis took his own life at his home in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Have a listen to his lyrics on the albums Unknown Pleasure and Decades. They will make you cry.
I've been working long and early hours at the paper shop, grabbing what shifts I can before my three week holiday in Tenerife, where the groundhopping will continue. I celebrate looking forward to a day off with a pint of Tuck at Lincoln Green's Robin Hood and Little John, in Arnold.
I have a 'getting shit done' day on Friday morning as I get my financial affairs in order, hopeful that one day soon I can afford to retire. I order a book written by a guy called Dave Worthington. He was chief scout for Sam Allardyce during his time at Bolton Wanderers. Dave also worked for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. I once met Dave at the Three Pigeons CAMRA heritage pub, in Halifax, whilst on a two day sesh with Tony Mac. The book is getting rave reviews on Amazon, so should make for an interesting holiday read.
I pop into town for a couple of drinks at Cock and Hoop and crowd favourite, Junkyard. Back at base camp I rustle up salt and pepper chicken in a Chimichurri sauce. It's delicious folks. Lights are out before Gogglebox finishes as I'm opening the shop up at 4 a.m. on Saturday.
Bloody hell, the papers are 90 minutes late. Of all the days, with all those chuffing supplements to insert in each paper. Raging Daily Mail readers will be ringing up the shop to see where the latest issue of the Meghan Markle soap opera is.
The morning shift flies by. Ms Moon picks me up and I'm straight upstairs for a 90 minute snooze. The good lady drops me off outside a BP garage close to Nottingham Racecourse. There's a KFC next door that was the former site of The Magpies pub, which closed in 2007.
On one of the weather maps yesterday it was estimated that 7.0 mm of rain was to fall as Storm Boelo breezed its way through Nottingham this afternoon. The wind and rain is far less severe than the forecast. I'm sat in the Derek Pavis Stand 45 minutes before kick off. The Magpies' fans are buoyant and relieved after a midweek 2-0 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday. I wasn't surprised by the win as some others, as I viewed the Owls a few weeks ago when Stockport County passed them off the park. Unfortunately the Hatters couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo on that occasion.
The Pies DJ seems to play a similar set at each game. He wouldn't last five minutes at Carlton Town where a set list is announced a day before the game on social media. This is Notts' final home game before Remembrance Sunday. The Last Post is played and the two minutes silence is observed magnificently by the 12,000 supporters. Goosebumps shiver down my spine; it's such a sad, proud, emotional and moving moment. The Hatters of Stockport, one of the UK's greatest drinking towns, have travelled in large numbers.
Stockport will fancy their chances and field a star-studded cast. I watch in awe at the deft touch and subtle passing range of their leader, Oliver Norwood, who dictates play from the centre circle. Sticky's favourite, Ben Osborn gets chalk on his boots and hugs the touchline. But just like I saw at Hillsborough his pinpoint away-swinging deliveries are not converted at the back stick.
Notts take advantage of Stockport's wastefulness by taking the lead following some sloppy defending. Their talisman, fiery midfielder, Scott Robertson, lashes home a shot from the edge of the area. I chat briefly with a fan sitting next to me. He says he'd take a point now.
It's a proper old fashioned game of football. The referee makes a meal out of some of the challenges when there's hardly a bad tackle to report. It gets a bit niggly and a few yellow cards are shown. Stockport earn the point they deserve after another beautifully-crafted move.
Notts are a tougher nut to crack now that they back to a near full strength starting line up. Their captain Rod McDonald has the heart and courage of a lion. He heads clear corner after corner. Ironically, it's Notts who come closer to scoring in the latter stages of a rain-soaked afternoon.
Attendance: 12,214
Player of the Match: Rod McDonald
Best Beer Supped This Week: Piccadilly Gold, Cloudwater, in Cock & Hoop
Best Record Heard This Week: Atoms for Peace, Default
Pub of the Week: The Lion, in Basford
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